Category Archives: Awards & Conferences

Honored to Be Nominated for Best Website!

Since 2002, the Rondo’s have been fandom’s only classic horror awards — decided by fans, for fans. Every nominee is considered for significant work or achievement made in the year 2017.

I’m honored to be nominated for the second year in a row in Category 17: Best Website or Blog. I humbly ask for your vote.

In addition, I had the honor of being Executive Producer of Christopher R Mihm’s 2017 film, Demon with the Atomic Brain, which is nominated for Category 8: Best Independent Film of 2017.

And of course, I was thrilled to begin a new column in Scary Monsters magazine, which is nominated for Category 12: Best Magazine along with Category 16: Best Cover

I also had the privilege of being a guest on Cult Radio A Go-Go! whose hosts Terry and Tiffany DuFoe are nominated for Category 14: Best Interview for their Videoscope magazine interview of Adrienne Barbeau.

And, of course, Derek M Koch‘s essential podcast Monster Kid Radio which I joined him for an episode to chat about my favorite 50s monster movie, The Blob, is nominated again for Category18. BEST MULTI-MEDIA HORROR SITE.

Voting ends Sunday, April 8, 2018 at midnight your local time. You can vote in as many, or few, categories as you’d like but definitely encourage you to check out the full ballot here: http://rondoaward.com/rondoaward.com/blog/

How to Vote:

Voting is simple. Simply send an email to David Colton, at taraco@aol.com. Include your name and your vote in the email.

Or just cut and paste the following:

Category 8: Best Independent Film of 2017: Demon with the Atomic Brain

Category 12: Best Magazine: Scary Monsters

Category 14: Best Interview: Terry and Tiffany DuFoe

Category 16: Best Cover: Scary Monsters

Category 17: CollectingClassicMonsters.com

Category 18. BEST MULTI-MEDIA HORROR SITE: Monster Kid Radio

There are many worthwhile contenders in every category and I consider the Rondo ballot a treasure trove full of new artists, writers, creators and creations that I need to dive into. Voting is wonderful and much appreciated. But supporting this community fo creators with your wallet matters so much more!

Finding Monsters Amidst the Mayhem

Obviously, San Diego Comic-Con has a much broader pop culture and entertainment focus than Monster Bash or Monsterpalooza, so seeking out new and interesting classic monster, retro Sci-Fi and vintage fantasy film memorabilia takes a bit of effort. Well, your roving reporter with an eye for magnificent –and not-so-magnificent — Imagi-movie memorabilia was on the job!

San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) is unlike almost every other Comic-Con in that it is, first and foremost, a Hollywood marketing event. It’s focus is on the blockbuster film franchises and licensed product associated with the big brands in entertainment. There remains a small resilient group of vendors selling vintage product, including **gasp** comic books, but most of the real estate is dominated by big pop culture brand names such as Hasbro, DC, Marvel and such.

In spite of that, I found quite a bit to interest us Monster Kids and collectors of classic genre film memorabilia. Read on and see if you agree with assessment from the world’s largest gathering of geek culture….

Entertainment Earth

I’m a big fan of the folks at EE, and have partnered with them to promote their exclusive monster kid merchandise in the past. The were kind enough to take me on a tour of their current product offering and we’re working on some fun exclusives down the line. Here are the highlights from my visit:

The Twilight Zone 3 3/4 inch Action Figures by BiffBangPow are black and white works of art. I love the Kenner-esque simplicity of their design. And yet, unlike those wonderful early Kenner figures, the characters are instantly recognizable with quality face sculpts. My favorite are the Dummie Jerry and Willie if for no other reason than it’s one of my all-time favorite episodes.

Prices on these figures range from $9.99 to $11.99 and are in-stock at Entertainment Earth should you want to add these to your collection.

Another 3 3/4 action figure line by BiffBangPow is the KISS collection. While some might argue that a rock band falls outside the purview of this website, any 1970s Monster Kid would beg to differ. KISS was the soundtrack to many of our childhoods and their kabuki mask/super hero/monster make-up personas fit right into our Monster Kid lifestyle Each set features the iconic rock band in costumes from specific tours. The 1979 Dynasty tour is pictured above. EE also offered convention-exclusives:

Ghoulsville by Retro-a-Go-Go

One of the most refreshing modern/vintage combinations is the revival of the classic Ben Cooper Halloween brand. Through licensing deals, like the giant handcrafted vacuum mold masks that debuted for Halloween 2016 by the cool retro-design RetroaGoGo.com.

I was thrilled to see Retro-a-Go-Go with a booth at SDCC this year, entirely focused on their monster products! They debuted Series 2 of their Ben Cooper Vintage Halloween Mask Line, including this super cool glow-in-the-dark Graveyard Ghost:

I was also blown away by the great prints featuring our favorite monsters like this one, titled “Monster-Rama” by artist P’gosh who also designed the blow-mold masks above. Prints available soon at Pgosh.com

I did quite a bit of social posting while on the floor at Comic-con and the item that had the most responses was this awesome T-Shirt, also available online at Retroagogo.com:

One of my favorite collections from the entire Con, is this new set of enamel pins based off the Ben Cooper mask collection. They come in their own tiny little display boxes and I added the whole set to my personal collection! They were selling like hotcakes at Comic-Con so I’d be surprised if they didn’t see out. But keep an eye out for them to appear soon on their website retroagogo.com

Famous Monsters of Filmland

In stark contrast to the wonderful, nostalgic fun of Retro-a-Go-Go, the Famous Monsters booth was depressing. You might know that one of my most cherished collections is my first-run FMoF magazine collection. Like so many of you, Uncle Forry had a lifelong impact on me. While part of me is glad the brand still exists, it makes me sad to see how lacking in imagination its product offering is. Everything they do feels like a minimal-effort money-grab, and it’s a shame. Their Comic-Con exclusive vinyl figures were flat out awful, and were really just color variants of figures available at the manufacturers booth right down the show floor:

Fortunately, they still know where their bread is buttered, and classic Famous Monsters cover art and Captain Company designs are still to be found in their product offering. Nothing new here, but reliable and always worth my money:

Sideshow Collectibles

On the upper-end of collectibles, Sideshow never fails to impress with their stunning sculpts and I was glad to see some true Monster Kid fare among this year’s premiers.

This Vampirella statue is 10 inches tall and really captures the spirit of this iconic Warren character. She is available now for pre-order on Sideshow’s website and is expected to ship Summer 2018.

Always great to see the Swamp Thing in any form and this massive maquette is awesome! No info on when this guy will be available for pre-order, but I was really impressed with the sculpt on this 16? inch statue! More details on Sideshow’s website.

X-Plus Gigantic Series

Vinyl kanji collecting is a very specialized sort of classic monster collecting, and one where I am certainly no expert. I do know that X-Plus has designed some amazing figures over the years, but I don’t think they have ever released a line-up as fantastic as their Gigantic Series. These figures are impeccably designed and reflect the different manifestations of Godzilla and his pals through the years. These also fall into the ‘really expensive stuff’ category with prices in the $400-500 range per figure. My favorite is the Godzilla figure from King King vs Godzilla that is available for pre-order and ships in Spring 2018.

McFarlane Toys

The breakout hit for Netflix in 2016, Stranger Things is a new favorite of mine and taps the 1980s kids vs the world ethos that I grew up loving. As usual Todd McFarlane gives us highly detailed sculpts on his 7 inch articulated action figure line debuting fall 2017.

A-Box

While pop culture subscription boxes are everywhere these days and usually excite me less than a re-run of the Brady Bunch, this Alien Covenant mystery box from A Box really grabbed me… or at least the life-size replica face hugger did!

Not a bad showing for us Monster Kids at San Diego Comic-Con 2017. Stay tuned as your intrepid roving reporter continues to report on classic monster, retro Sci-Fi and vintage fantasy film memorabilia for all you Monster Kids and collectors!

Cast Your Vote in the 2016 Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards

For the past 15 years, The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards has honored those who strive to keep the genre of Classic Horror vibrant via research, creativity and film preservation. Truly the Oscar, the Emmy and the State Fair Blue Ribbon, the ‘Rondos’ is essential for us Monster Kids! The Rondo Awards ballot is an essential way for fans to support their classic horror fandom.

I’ve voted in the Rondos for years, and find that, every year, the ballot is a source of discovering new films, books, podcasts and websites. The ballot is a bounty of high caliber monster kid media and I encourage you to visit the Rondo Award website to give it a thorough read and see what new gems you discover!

Friends of Collecting Classic Monsters on this year’s ballot:

Supporting creators that you discover via the Rondo ballot is a worthy endeavor, but voting in the Rondos is also important.

All of the artists, writers, film makers and creators who keep the genre alive and vibrant are doing this from a love of the genre. Let’s face it, no one is getting rich in the classic horror genre!

To that end, I’m recommending the following “friends of CCM” for your consideration as you cast your Rondo ballot this year:

Category 8. Best Independent Film:

Christopher R Mihm is a Minnesota-based independent film maker with the noteworthy accomplishment of releasing 11 films in 11 years (with his 12th scheduled to release later in 2017). That is a remarkable achievement in it’s own right, but even more important, his films are all loving homages to 1950s and 60s drive-in genre cinema all set within the shared ‘Mihmiverse.” His 2016 film, Weresquito: Nazi Hunter” is a slightly darker film than many of his predecessors, and feels more late-60s than many of his previous light-hearted Sci-Fi / Horror romps like The Giant Spider (a personal favorite of mine) or his first film, The Monster of Phantom Lake. I highly recommend all Monster Kids watch his films and vote for his latest as Best Independent Film.

Category 10. Best Documentary:

Frank Dietz and Trish Geiger are the driving force behind Benevolent Monsters Productions whose previous team-up was BEAST WISHES, about Bob and Kathy Burns. This time, the pair give us a loving tribute to the original movie monster, King Kong, through the stories of fellow Monster Kids. The film is currently making the film festival rounds and I was fortunate enough to view it earlier this year. An easy choice for Best Documentary in this year’s Rondos.

Category 13. BEST ARTICLE:

David Weiner was the last editor of the most important monster magazine of them all, Famous Monsters of Filmland, and he did a stellar job. Until David took over the editorial helm of FM 3.0, I found the writing inconsistent and frequently missing the tone of the magazine I loved so much. With David’s writing and overall editorial leadership, the magazine regained my interest and again captured my subscription support. As a true Monster Kid, it was always evident that David was ‘one of us’ and his deft balance of classic and contemporary genre filmdom made the magazine appeal to me as a life-long reader as well as a fan of modern genre films.

His article on the making of American Werewolf in London is an excellent example of his journalistic ability blended with his fandom. It’s unfortunate that the publisher canceled the magazine just as David had established this balance of readability, tone and content. David deserves your vote.

Category 16: Best Magazine Cover:

This painted cover by the one-and-only Rick Baker of his legendary SFX creation is one for the ages and, in my opinion, stands alongside the classic Warren era covers by Gogos and crew. Simply awesome!

Category 18. Best Multi-Media Site:

​​​​​​​If you read this website, then I assume you listen to this podcast. I you don’t then I highly encourage you to stop reading this and subscribe immediately. For over 300 episodes, Derek and an expansive rotation of guests have discussed a classic – and sometimes not-so-classic – genre films from the silent film era up to the 1970s. I have listened to every episode and I can honestly say that I anticipate the new episode of Monster Kid Radio as a highlight of my week every week!

Not only should you vote for Derek in this category but you should subscribe and listen to his podcast; I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Category 17. Best Website:

Yup! We are nominated for Best Website! It’s our first Rondo nomination and it is a HUGE honor! But you know what would be an even bigger honor than being nominated? WINNING! There are a lot of GREAT blogs and websites nominated in this category, many of which I read weekly and urge you to support).

That said, I believe that the quality of this website stands up against any of them and my passion for these iconic movies, characters and collectibles is always at the forefront of my efforts. If you agree, then I would appreciate your vote on the Rondo ballot!

Sorry if this is self-serving, but it is my website after all and, if I don’t ask for your vote, then I don’t stand a chance of winning. This category includes some big media heavyweights so it’s a long shot….but you can help!

Category 29. The Monster Kid Hall of Fame:

The is a write-in category and you can include up to 6 people on your ballot. In 2016, we lost Vince Rotolo, founder of the B Movie Cast podcast and a true pioneer in terms of bringing focus on classic genre films to new media. His podcast continues in his absence and inducting Vince into the Monster Kid Hall of Fame is a great way to honor his innovation and contributions through the years.

How to Vote

The easiest to vote is to copy-and-paste the ballot from Rondoaward.com into an e-mail, mark your choices and send your picks to David Colton, at taraco@aol.com by Sunday night at midnight, April 16, 2017 (that’s this coming Sunday, folks!)

You do not have to vote in every category. Vote for all or a few.

One vote per person, please. Every e-mail must include your name to be counted. All votes are kept strictly confidential.

Feel free to spread the word about the Rondo on social media.

But please do not mass-produce ballots; suspicious ballots will be rejected at the sole discretion of Rondo organizers. Let’s keep this a fun vote!

Please take 5 minutes this week and vote in this year’s Rondos. To vote, email taraco@aol.com and let me know what discoveries you make on this year’s ballot!

Collecting Classic Monsters Nominated for Best Blog & Website of 2016

For the past 15 years, the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards have honored the best in classic horror research, creativity and film preservation. The awards are the brainchild of David Colton, founder of the Classic Horror Film Board, and the spectacular sculpt of the iconic actor Rondo Hatton is by legendary artist Kerry Gammill.

I have voted in the Rondos for years and I was completely shocked to see this little work of passion of mine nominated for the Best Website/Blog category this year — I don’t even know who nominated us, but I am so grateful. I found out about our nomination as I was reviewing the ballot over the weekend! It isn’t an exaggeration to say that I shouted in surprise when I saw our website included among the very best of the web! What an honor!

What are the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards?

The Rondo Awards are an effort to honor and recognize those people and projects that keep the classic horror genre alive and vibrant. It is not so much about ‘favorite actor’ or ‘favorite monster’ but about the latest scholarship in books and magazines, the fun and creativity in writing, art, music, special events and horror hosts like yourself, and in the efforts to preserve the classic films.

Every vote is our attempt to thank and recognize all the creative people — fans and pros alike — who work so hard, often without any pay at all — to keep the classic monster genre young and vital.

Who Can Vote?

Short answer: everyone! To cast your vote in this year’s Rondo Awards, simply copy and paste the ballot into an email and send it to David Colton at taraco@aol.com by 12AM Midnight, April 16, 2017.

You aren’t required to vote in every category to participate so vote for what you know and love! To view the official ballot of the 15th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards, click here.

It’s truly an honor to be nominated, but it would fantastic to win too! I’ll stop short of groveling, but I would really appreciate your vote and spreading the word about our nomination. We are in a very competitive category with a lot of great websites and blogs, so every vote helps. Regardless of who you vote for, we hope you will take the time to cast your vote and spread the word.

2015 Rondo Classic Horror Awards – my annual kick-in-the-pants

Monster Kids spend a lot of time reminiscing about the bygone days of childhood. The glorious 1960s and 70s are gone but not forgotten. The 2015 Rondo Classic Horror Awards remind us that ‘classic’ doesn’t have to mean ‘vintage.’

We love our classic monsters, our retro sci fi and our vintage collectibles. Occasionally, we can use a good kick in the pants to remind us that many of our fellow monster kids are creating modern classics in the spirit of the golden age of classic monsters and sci fi.

The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards serve that purpose for me. Just look at the list of nominees below. I was blown away at the pure quantity of high-quality creativity my fellow monster kids gave us last year. The least I can do is show my support by casting a ballot.

I thought it would be fun to share my personal ballot. I’m sure every reader’s ballot will be different than mine. That’s great! The point is to vote — so check out my ballot and then click here to cast yours.

Please note, I only make informed votes. If I haven’t watched, listened, read or attended something, then I can’t make an informed vote. I certainly wish I had the time to consume every morsel on this incredible list, but I remain mortal. So please understand, all you creators out there, my lack of vote only means I have’t gotten to your creative output yet–but my To Do list has gotten a lot longer since comleting this ballot!

My 2015 Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards Ballot

1. BEST MOVIE OF 2014

– AS ABOVE, SO BELOW

– THE BABADOOK

– DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

– DEAD SNOW 2

– DRACULA UNTOLD

– EDGE OF TOMORROW

– GODZILLA

–X GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

– THE HOBBIT: BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES

– INTERSTELLAR

– MALIFICENT

– OCULUS

– ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE

– THE QUIET ONES

– SNOWPIERCER

– THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN

– X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

– Or write in another choice:

2. BEST TELEVISION PRESENTATION

– AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN, ‘The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks,’ 1.8.14, FX. The mystical rock goddess herself is recruited at the school by Fiona. ‘Don’t be a hater, dear. It’s a theramin.’

– DOCTOR WHO, ‘Listen,’ 9.13.14, BBC America. At the end of the universe, the Doctor reveals what he’s really afraid of. ‘The clock’s stopped. This is the silence … at the end of time.’

– GRIMM, ‘Chupacabra,’ 12.12.14, NBC. A legendary monster is more than it seems. ‘My grandmother used to blame the Chupacabra for everything — dead relatives, missing pets, even lost keys.’

– ORPHAN BLACK, ‘By Means Which Have Never Yet Been Tried,’ 6.21.14, BBC. Season Two finale finds the clone conspiracy deepening. ‘I like your hairs.’

– PENNY DREADFUL, ‘Grand Guignol,’ 6.29.14, Showtime. A sudden transformation turns an ally into a monstrous menace. ‘Pull the trigger. I’d rather be the corpse I was than the man I am.’
– SLEEPY HOLLOW. ‘The Indispensible Man’ > ‘Bad Blood’, 1.20.14. Two-part finale shakes Tarrytown with the identity of War and George Washington’s secret. ‘I married a witch. How cool.’

– THE STRAIN, ‘The Third Rail,’ 9.21.14, FX. Searching for the Master in a subway tunnel beneath the World Trade Center. ‘I will take everything from you. Your son. Your wife. I am a drinker of men.’

7. BEST DVD EXTRA

(didn’t vote)

— THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (Kino), Caligari: When Horror Came to the Cinema. 52-minute documentary.
– COUNTESS DRACULA: Immortal Countess: The Cinematic Life of Ingrid Pitt– THE DOCTOR AND THE DEVILS, Interview with executive producer Mel Brooks and others.
— JUDEX (Criterion), Franju de Visionnaire, a 1998 French documentary.
— LEGEND OF HELL HO– USE: Interview with director John Hough
– THE INNOCENTS (Criterion): Interview with cinematographer John Bailey about Freddie Francis.
— NIGHTBREED: THE DIRECTOR’S CUT: Tribes of the Moon: Making Nightbreed
— PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE: Interview with Paul Williams and Guillermo del Toro.
— PIT AND THE PENDULUM (Arrow), Behind the Swinging Blade, directed by Calum Waddell.
— PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES (Scorpion). 20 minutes of original Kendall Schmidt score not available on video.
— Or write in another choice:

8. BEST DOCUMENTARY

– AS TIMELESS AS INFINITY: THE TWILIGHT ZONE LEGACY, directed by Daniel Griffith. New interviews and history of the classic show. See video clip here.

– CLAWING: A Journey Through the Spanish Horror, directed by Victor Matellano. Tracing the Spanish horror boom from the 60s to the 80s. See video clip here.

– FANTASM, directed by Kyle Kuchta. An eye-opening visit to six horror conventions. See video clip here.
– THE GREEN GIRL, directed by George A. Pappy Jr. The bright but unfulfilled career of Susan Oliver. See video clip here.

9. BEST INDEPENDENT FILM

– A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT, directed by Ana Lily Amirpour. More chills than politics with a vampire girl in Iran.See video clip here.
— ASMODEXIA, directed by Marc Carrette. The chilling adventures of a traveling exorcist. See video clip here.
— ATTACK OF THE GORILLA, directed by the late Dave Shaw. Send up of a 50s monsterfest. See video clip here.
— CALL GIRL OF CHTHULU, directed by Chris LaMartina. Be careful who you hook up with! See video clip here.
– CHIP & BERNIE’S ZOMANCE, directed by Pasquale Murena. Undead wackiness, with Tim Conway. See video clip here.

– THE CARETAKERS, directed by Steve Hudgins. The care and feeding of a vampire leads to complications. See video clip here.

– THE HANOVER HO– USE, directed by Corey Norman. A tragic car accident is just the beginning. See video clip here.

– HO– USEBOUND, directed by Gerard Johnstone. Sentenced to a Gothic home of horrors, including a zany mother. See video clip here.

– THE HOUNDS OF ZAROFF: The Most Dangerous Game as a Persistent Muse to the Movies, by Michael H. Price and George Turner (Create Space, softcover, 252 pages, $25). How the classic humans as prey horror has influenced movies, TV and today’s reality shows.

– THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF DON POST STUDIOS, by Lee Lambert (Dr. Shocker presents, 494 pages). A limited edition history of the legendary monster mask studio.

—I SAW WHAT I SAW WHEN I SAW IT: Growing Up in the 1950s and 1960s with Television Reruns & Old Movies, by Frank J. Dello Stritto (Cult Movies Press, hardcover, 415 pages, $30). How horror films and TV intersected with real life in post-war New Jersey.

– LIONEL ATWILL: The Exquisite Villain, by Neil Pettigrew (Midnight Marquee Press, softcover, 328 pages, $25). Far beyond the horror roles, but those are here too, the tragic life and career of one of horror’s most familiar character actors.

– MOST DANGEROUS CINEMA: People Hunting People on Film, by Bryan Senn (McFarland, softcover, 296 pages, $45). A survey of the most dangerous films of all.

– THE OUTER LIMITS AT 50, by David J. Schow with Ted C. Rypel (Creature Features, softcover, 150 pages, $24.95). Crystal clarity about the show, along with rare behind-the-scenes photos, props, new artwork and analysis.

13. BEST ARTICLE (Please select two; one will win)

– ‘Anthony Hinds,The Man Who Made Monsters,’ by Denis Meikle, LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #32. A tribute to the late Hammer architect in his own words from interviews and correspondence.

– ‘Arkham House Publishers — 75 Years of Scares!’ by Mark C. Glassy, Ph.D, SCARY MONSTERS #94. A collector’s look at the 1939 publishing house that preserved HP Lovecraft’s work.

– ‘The Bell-Ringer of Hollywood,’ by Michael F. Blake, SCREEM #28. Setting the record straight on myths behind the filming of the 1923 Hunchback of Notre Dame.
––‘Carnival of Monstrosity: The 70th Anniversary of House of Frankenstein,’ by Greg Mank, MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #33. The inside stories behind Hollywood’s first monster rally.

– ‘The Complete Godzilla Chronology,1954-2004,’ by August Ragone. FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND #274. Every stomp, every film assessed by a master Tohologist.

– ‘Days of Future Past: Remembering The Outer Limits,’ by David J. Schow, SCREEM #29. Why the sci-fi show’s transmission matters even more today.X ‘Dick Smith — An Appreciation of the Master of Make-Up,’ by Scott Essman, BELOW THE LINE (film crew industry website). A look at the man who changed the face of Hollywood.

– ‘Family Man,’ by James Gracey, DIABOLIQUE #20. How the films of Tobe Hooper disrupted the traditional film family.

– ‘For the Love of Schlock,’ by Nathan Hannemann and Aaron Crowell, HORRORHOUND #46. A full 56 films, some beloved cult favorites, are given a fun schlock-meter rating.

–‘Ghost Stories for Christmas,’ by Kier-la Janisse, VIDEO WATCHDOG #176. Examining the British love of ghosts at the holidays.

– ‘Lady Impunity,’ by Max Weinstein, DIABOLIQUE #22. The blood-filled legacy of the life of Countess Elizabeth Bathory.– ‘Loving the Unloved Giant Behemoth,’ by Stephen R. Bissette, MONSTER! #12. Reconsidering the often maligned radioactive beast that trampled London.
– ‘The Making of Dracula, Prince of Darkness,’ by Bruce G. Hallenbeck, LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #33. An in-depth look at the sequel that brought back Christopher Lee.

– ‘Marshall Thompson: Straight Arrow,’ by Debbie Painter, CLASSIC IMAGES #470. New insights into one of the more familiar scifi heroes.

– ‘The Monster Movie Art of Feg Murray,’ by Pierre Fournier and George Chastain. FRANKENSTEINIA blog. How the syndicated ‘Seein’ Stars’ cartoons of the 1930s highlighted classic monsters.– ‘The Mysterious Launch of Spaceship 1,’ by Jon C. Rogers. FILMFAX #137. Revealing the forgotten science fiction film of 1930s Germany.– ‘Nuclear Dragon: Godzilla & the Cold War – 1954,’ by Allen A. Debus, G-FAN #105. The real-life incident, initially covered up, that inspired the first Godzilla film.X ‘O’Brien vs. Dawley: The First Great Rivalry in Visual Effects,’ by Stephen Czerkas, CINEFEX #138. New facts about the little-known feud between Willis O’Brien and Herbert M. Dawley that almost derailed production of The Lost World.– ‘The Real Malificent: The Surprising Human Face Behind the Sleeping Beauty Villain,’ by R.H. Greene, SALON website. The untold tale of how Vampira was one of the live-action models for Disney’s evil witch.
– ‘Recording Hammer Memories,’ by Ted Newsom, LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #33. Lining up interviews with reclusive horror stars is a story in itself.

– ‘Reviving the Vampire: Dracula on Stage in 1943,’ by Bill Kaffenberger and Gary Rhodes, FILMFAX #138-139. Through clippings and interviews, tracking Lugosi’s U.S. Dracula tour.– ‘A Scary Childhood in the Bronx,’ by Dennis P. Mitchell, SCARY MONSTERS. A continuing chronicle of films and double-bills seen in the 1950s.

– ‘Siodmak’s Brain,’ by Scott MacQueen, FILMS OF THE GOLDEN AGE #76. A poignant portrait of visits with Siodmak in the twilight of his years.
– ‘A Triple Life: King Kong’s Trinity of Reincarnation on Film,’ by Steve Vertlieb, GULLCOTTAGEONLINE. A look at the three major Kong eras.
– ‘Universal’s Dracula,’ by Martin Arlt, MAD SCIENTIST #29. Viewed with fresh eyes, an assessment of the 1931 Dracula.

22. BEST HORROR COMIC OF 2014

– AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE, by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla. (Archie). Zombies in Riverdale are no joke.
– BELA LUGOSI’S TALES FROM THE GRAVE #4 by various. (Monsterverse). More rather grim tales from the Count’s archives.

– CARBON by Daniel Boyd, Edi Guedes, Alzir Alves (Caliber). Prophetic horror from a Garden of Eden.
– CLIVE BARKER’S NEXT TESTAMENT, by Barker and Mark Miller (Boom!) Is it God, the devil or both?

AGAIN, TO VOTE simply copy this ballot and make your picks by highlighting your selection, or by putting an X by your selections, or by typing out your picks separately. Whatever is easiest. Then e-mail your picks to taraco@aol.com

And thanks, whatever you are!

Copyright 2015 Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards

Wrap up

So there you have it! My ballot. I wish I could say my vote was fully informed and that I had read, seen, attended and listened to every nominee on this massive ballot, but I haven’t. What I am going to do is add much of this ballot to our Monster Collector Resources page for future reference and then I’m going to add all the movies I haven’t seen to my Amazon Instant Video queue.

In the spirit of keeping this post from getting way too long, I didn’t include my Write in votes…perhaps in a future post.

Do you agree with any of my votes? Disagree?

Share your favorites in the comments section below

(please keep it clean and polite–no need to get nasty as we’re all Monster Kids here.)